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 Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:25 am
 Keone's ears flattened, his eyes shifting to watch the pup's movements never letting it leave his field of vission. At the touch to his tail, the leopard reeled, spinning around to face the dark creature, landing in a coiled crouch. He hissed loudly in what he hoped sounded like a threat, his tail lashing behind him.
"It's for my friend, and you better not make me hurt it or I'll...I'll...well you just better not!"
Under different circumstances, the leopard might have offered an inquisitive prod back, wondering about the smaller creature and what it was. But being chased had put him in a defensive mind; he was certain it wanted to harm him and it seemed nothing would convince him otherwise. No doubt when he returned to his compainion's side she would hear the tale, retold from the mind of the naive little jungle cat about the strange creature with a furry mane and tail that had chased and tried to eat him.
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Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 10:28 am
Zin jumped back in surprised as the leopard emitted its loud hiss. If it had wanted to scare the hyena, it certainly did, though... it had given him an idea too. Hissing? Zin wasn't sure if it was a sound he could make, wailing calls and howling screams was what he usually resorted too, but hissing? Well, why not. The hyena pup sucked in a lungful of air, stretched his lips back, clenched his teeth together in an effort to hiss. It wasn't good, it wasn't pretty, and it sent spit shooting off everywhere, but a tiny sound had been emitted, more a sputter than a hiss.
Zin didn't know why the stranger was so nervous, he just wanted a chat, after all. "How am I going to make you hurt it?" Zin wondered if the big cat's friend was as perculiar as him, "and if you do hurt it, it'll be your own fault. So don't you go and blame it on me!" Zin sensed the stranger's growing unrest, and contemplated on letting him go. No, no, not yet anyways, not after I find out a bit more...
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Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 2:08 pm
The leopard took a step back, his tail flicking furiously behind him, a startled expression in his eyes. It was spitting at him, like a snake, was it trying to poison him? He jumped back, he hoped far enough to be out or range.
"You stop that!"
He was looking very nervous, trying his best not to clench his jaws and bruise the flower...or worse. He didn't now what the creature was, but whatever it was he'd decided he didn't like it.
"You..you made me drop it! So of course it's your fault!"
Keone had had about enough, his eyes darting between trees, looking for the best one to climb and then escape.
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Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 2:33 pm
Zin was getting braver by the minute, after seeing just how frightened the leopard was. It was his time to take charge, and he was structing in front of the big cat with the rare air of arrogance.
"Hey, It not my fault you have a weak jaw and can't keep hold of a flower!" His tail had adopted a casual wag, sweeping back and forth behind the hyena. "I don't know why you are so skitterish anyways," He motioned nonchalantly, "I'm just a harmless little Hyena." Zin wasn't sure whether the big cat knew what a hyena was; after all, they weren't a very common occurance in this part of the land. A small voice at the back of Zin's head told him it wasn't such a good idea to reveal his identity before learning the others, but the pup ignored that voice, more than sure of his abilities to subdued the scardy stranger should it come down to it.
"And don't get any idea," the pup scowled after watching the leopard's eyes dart back and forth across the trees, "You won't be going anywhere, not until you answer some question!"
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Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 4:39 pm
Keone's eyes widened....hyena. Karama had told him about hyenas, they had killed her family. Hyenas were bad. The leopards tail lashed about, his jaws parting in what could have passed for a snarl...were it not for the flower and his frightened stance.
"You...you stay away from me!"
Then, as cornered animals often do, the leopard lashed out, one taloned paw surging toward the pup that posed such a threat. He barely waited for his strike to make contact before he sprang, dashing away from the menace and toward another tree intending to spring to one of the branches and escape through the jungle he called home.
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Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 5:06 pm
The hyena pup barely had the time to raise his paw before the sharp talons of a powerful swipe hit him full force in the shoulder. Zin cried out a whopping call, the uncontrollable reflexes of a threatened hyena. It had been unexpected, and the inexperience pup was now slumped on the moist earth, shoulder stinging from the pain and cursing himself for not being more careful. He had had the time to look his attacker in the eye before being struck down, and in its eyes he saw fear, desperation, and the tinest tinge of hatred. What had made him change? Was it because he had pushed the creature too forcibly? Was is something he had said? The strike had only grazed his skin, but surprised him more than anything else.
Wincing against the pain, the hyena pup managed to stumble up just in time to seeing leopard flitting away. He gritted his teeth and grunted indignantly. His pride was crushed, and in a moment of hotheadedness, he call out.
"Hey! What was that for!?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 5:20 pm
The leopard never looked back, springing into the nearby tree, his paws hit the branch running, his body coiling to spring to the next branch and then to the next tree, racing from branch to branch to escape, disappearing into the deapths of the green.
His ears back, tail low, Keone never heard the words the hyena called out, never knew if his strike had made contact or not. All he wanted was too be away, far away.
When he was certain he had had put enough distance between himself and the dark hyena, Keone paused on a branch to catch his breath and make certain Karama's flower was unharmed. The pink blossom was a bit dirtied, the stem somewhat crushed, but the flower itself was still as beautiful as it had been when he'd picked it.
Assured of the flower's safety, Keone dashed through the jungle again, searching for his companion to give her the beautiful flower and to tell her of what had happened.
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Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 5:45 pm
There had been no response. Whether the stranger did not hear, or whether he did not want to answer, Zin was not sure, but after moments of watching the disappearing patch of white in a dazed trance, the hyena pup sighed. His pride still stung, but the pain in his shoulder had reduced to a dull throb around the tinest stain of blood on his black coat. He had the feeling that the creature would not return, and after some time, wandered off, vagueing aware of his state as he looked absentmindedly for some running water to drink and bathe his wound.
He hade decided that he did not like the jungle after all, but it would be days before he would stumble out of it, tired and craving the fresh, open air of the plains.
((Concluded.))
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